I honestly believe that, to a significant degree, it has to do with the fact that people are terrified of facing 'themselves'. With only a few glaring exceptions, most every single person that I have ever met has been terrified of being alone. And society feeds us this message, over and over again, in subtle ways, i.e. it's not ok, being alone; and all of it based upon co-dependency. I also firmly believe that people are terrified of facing the world; thus, they need distraction. Buried deep down in the well of the unconscious is an overwhelming fear of the fact that 'all is not well in wonderland'. People KNOW that the system is screwed up, but they DARE not step outside into uncharted waters. Dip a toe, perhaps; but that's as far as it goes.

As I've said before, I've been to a number of different gatherings at which folks are made to feel safe, and as a result, they allow their masks to slip off. Each and every time that this has happened, I have seen massive catharsis take place, particularly amongst women, i.e. a complete breaking down of the plastic shield of protection - the dam breaks, the pain gushes forth, and they 'let it all out', so to speak; years worth of emotional suppression.

Due to the massively repressed nature of nearly all human minds, it's something that I fully anticipate experiencing on the grounds of Sanctuary, amongst visitors to the grounds. This is perhaps why the scene from Lost Horizon, (where the woman secludes herself, and at last stands on the ledge), caught so much of my attention.

I think it might be this old definition for entertainment: "(obsolete) Payment of soldiers or servants; wages." or this one "(obsolete) maintenance or support".

Being entertained gives us a rush of those nice chemicals that our brains produce, wheter it be a favourite show (opera, TV/movies, traditional games/video games) or music that takes us on a journey out of the harsh reality what the world of today is. In history certain forms of entertainment have been good ones and other bad ones, ethically speaking of course. There are of course drugs and alcohol for entertainment as well. Heh, "Sex, drugs and Rock'n'Roll" = entertainment today, best to do them all at the same time.

Some people (everyone?) are just addicts for chems or natural dopamine. Might be because of the lack of survival these days, more about luxury since everything you need to survive is around the corner(store).

I just love answering your posts because I learn so much!
The definition of entertain according to one dictionary is quote "to keep, hold or maintain in the mind" or "to receive and take into consideration". The first meaning had the sentence "I entertain grave doubts about her sincerity" and the second "they refused to entertain our plea". Either way it has to do with our mind or brain being active or receiving information.

I like all of these old definitions of entertainment! I will entertain them to reach the truth of the matter. Entertainment has become an item of consumption. I am reminded of soldiers off at war. The grief, the weariness. Comedies are provided to maintain their spirits, whether by theater productions or radio or on-stage comedians, like Bob Hope. These appeal to their right-brain hemispheres, to balance out the means through which war is carried out: linearly, through order-following. Perhaps as an appeal to authority, soldiers were granted entertainment, not as a means to health, but to provide contrast to the hell and savagery that war is. Culture. Something worth fighting for!

Culture is something that can only develop in civilization, an organization of people that work in order to thrive together in sustenance and achieving man's greater purpose, whatever that may become (something Dewey Larson maintained was that humans have a purpose, and that it can be understood.) A dominant civilization that can maintain peace in a savage, cruel world. Nature can be cruel. I think that's easy for anyone to understand.

The only thing that makes it different in this day in age is that the acts of cruelty are perpetrated through vast-in-scale conspiracy, compulsive coercion, mass deception and repetitive violence. The video camera. Photoshop. People willingly acting on their orders for a paycheck to survive even if it means bringing the world into a darker state. Illusions can be brought to look more like reality more in this day than any other of our species.

In typing this, I think the question lies in the word, "culture." Etymologically, are organizations "cults" if they are based in knowledge that is "occulted?" Seems the word has nothing to do with good or evil, given they tend to have negative connotations. Seems more to mean an organized people in general consensus of how to act to be in rapport with their environment to not only survive, but have fun also. (LBH~/=/~RBH)

But if the environment is mostly artificial, you don't have to worry about the survival part. The fun aspect tends to be related to survival in some way, and so the life experience starts to degrade (starts to suck) as a natural consequence of the deprivation.

"Classical historians traditionally dismiss tales of magic as unworthy of scholarly attention, but to us any mention of a witch's broomstick or wizard's wand evokes the smell of a scientist's laboratory." The Sphinx and the Megaliths

Hmmm, is this a trick question? Not entertaining, per say; more thought provoking. I consider entertainment to be a suspension of the thinking process. The original question, and my subsequent response, also sparked within me another idea for a song.

Hmmm, is this a trick question? Not entertaining, per say; more thought provoking. I consider entertainment to be a suspension of the thinking process.

This is the conclusion I arrived at as well.

Reminds me of Tier One magick not being any fun to do, but is extremely gratifying in the end if you apply your will and concentrate. Tier Two magick is fun, and has a genuine affection or feeling associated with it.

"Classical historians traditionally dismiss tales of magic as unworthy of scholarly attention, but to us any mention of a witch's broomstick or wizard's wand evokes the smell of a scientist's laboratory." The Sphinx and the Megaliths

Hmmm, is this a trick question? Not entertaining, per say; more thought provoking. I consider entertainment to be a suspension of the thinking process.

This is the conclusion I arrived at as well.

Reminds me of Tier One magick not being any fun to do, but is extremely gratifying in the end if you apply your will and concentrate. Tier Two magick is fun, and has a genuine affection or feeling associated with it.

I recall this coming up during your visit to SLC. I'm curious as to the foundation of this concept of Tier 1 magic not being fun but Tier 2 magic is. I think maybe there's something to this that is in line with what's being posited here in the thread. What exactly is this thing we call "fun" and what does it mean to have it (or not) in our lives?

"Living is not necessary, but navigation is." --Pompey
"Navigation is necessary in order to live." --Me

Hmmm, is this a trick question? Not entertaining, per say; more thought provoking. I consider entertainment to be a suspension of the thinking process.

This is the conclusion I arrived at as well.

Reminds me of Tier One magick not being any fun to do, but is extremely gratifying in the end if you apply your will and concentrate. Tier Two magick is fun, and has a genuine affection or feeling associated with it.

I recall this coming up during your visit to SLC. I'm curious as to the foundation of this concept of Tier 1 magic not being fun but Tier 2 magic is. I think maybe there's something to this that is in line with what's being posited here in the thread. What exactly is this thing we call "fun" and what does it mean to have it (or not) in our lives?

Funny, as I think we're getting to the root of it here. Taking a jab it it, there is a stereotypical association with the male laughing at the expense of someone else's misfortune = slapstick humor. I think no one wants pain or displeasure themselves, but seeing someone else survive altercations provides, maybe just to the brain, catharsis for the survival-mode it's constantly in. After all, learning from someone else's mistakes is a useful, however unwishful, form of wisdom.

Since I was a teenager I theorized that physics was what people actually enjoyed. Think of a roller coaster. It is in constant motion, and you are in no control of where you are going. Your survival is in question, but it is safely guided by the engineers of the ride.

What I see that the two examples above have in common are motion and control or the temporary lack thereof.

In ritual magick or applying the law of attraction in focusing your thoughts and feelings to a desired circumstance or outcome, you are basically in control of just those factors. What's inside you. The rest of the work the universe does over clock-time.

Tier-two magick, such as teleportation or TK, has a factor of control to it that is not just internal, but external as well. Tier one certainly has e-motion to it, but the "workings" or effects are non-local. Tier-two has local motion.

"Classical historians traditionally dismiss tales of magic as unworthy of scholarly attention, but to us any mention of a witch's broomstick or wizard's wand evokes the smell of a scientist's laboratory." The Sphinx and the Megaliths